Hi! My name is Carolyn. I love pets, cooking and reading. I figure if you like to cook you like to eat and vice versa. I have 6 beautiful grandchilden,a new great grandson- born on st. Patty's day, a grown daughter and son. I also am mother to Thumper(a beagle dachshund mix) and Jack a beautiful orange and white male. Jack is short for Crackerjack if that tellls you anything. Oh, I almost forgot. I have a great husband, Charlie. He and I have made it through 43 years of marriage. ...

Hi! My name is Carolyn. I love pets, cooking and reading. I figure if you like to cook you like to eat and vice versa. I have 6 beautiful grandchilden,a new great grandson- born on st. Patty's day, a grown daughter and son. I also am mother to Thumper(a beagle dachshund mix) and Jack a beautiful orange and white male. Jack is short for Crackerjack if that tellls you anything. Oh, I almost forgot. I have a great husband, Charlie. He and I have made it through 43 years of marriage. I am a diabetic and until recently suffered a great deal with pain from Lupus. Then a friend of mine told me of the medicinal values of vinegar and honey. I started taking it and haven't looked back since. The pain is almost gone and I sleep well every night. I have a great caring doctor and she has helped me also tremendously with control of hte lupus and Diabetes. Over the last two years I've had two knee replacements, a badly torn quadrecep, which has been repaired and back surgery which required the insertion of three x-stops. I am learning now how to walk again and can walk a little with a cane and a rollater. I Thank God for all of you.

Congrats on taking the next step to reaching a healthier you by getting active with SparkPeople - it's a great community, wonderful resources and fantastic support.

Please check out the SparkTeams - I think you will find a lot of others 'just like you' there. You can choose SparkTeams by age group, lifestyle or interests, geographic location or several other ways - in fact, I suggest joining more than one group, post your intro there and write blogs as often as you can - you will find tons of friends and support that way, I promise!!

In my experience, SparkPeople is like a in some ways - it's lots of fun and easy to make friends because we're all in this together. I like the way a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE is emphasized instead of a 'quick fix wonder diet' - it's about waaaaaay more than 'just' losing weight so you have definitely come to the right place!

If you ever need any help using features of the site, there are tutorial videos under the HELP section that can show you how to use the features of the site. You can also find them on the START page and several other places on the site.

If you haven't discovered The Spark book and/or the SparkDiet linked at the bottom of the START page, check them out - the program is simple but extremely effective. There is a TON of information on this site - so much it might even seem overwhelming but fortunately we don't have to 'digest' everything at once! The FastBreak program is a good way to start.

Another nice thing about SparkPeople is that we have permission to be human - we don't have to change everything at once or be in a hurry to reach our goals. Take a few baby steps and then a few more and before you know it, you'll have completed a long journey - I hope you enjoy this community as much as I do - it teaches us how to make positive lifetime changes because that's the only thing that will work over time!

Hi and welcome back to Spark People where you will find lots of information and tons of support and encouragement from all our members. You will find that we also have fun along the way. Drink your 8-8oz glasses of water a day, watch your portion control and walk, dance or do any exercise you enjoy. Use your fitness and nutrition tracker daily. These tips will definitely help in lowering your numbers. Don't expect miracles right away...this is a lifestyle change not a diet. You will be much healthier in the long run. Post any concerns, comments or questions you may have and someone will respond quickly. Start each day with a positive thought just for that day. Reading and reflecting on an inspirational thought or message before you start your day can put you in a positive frame of mind. Your thoughts determine whether you have a good day or a bad day. Fill your mind with positive ideas, suggestions, and thoughts. You will find it will change your attitude and changing your attitude can change your life. Sometimes just reading an inspirational quote or a short paragraph helps one see the positive in a situation. Sometimes as your day progresses you just need to take a break…Take a mental break and read or think about a message of inspiration. Never underestimate your power to change and improve! You are a good person, with wonderful qualities, and you can reach your goals! Maybe you would be interested in doing the chair exercises after your surgery. That might help to keep you moving when you are not able to do other exercises. If I can be of any help to you, please let me know with a spark mail or a comment on my page. I am here for you. God bless you on your journey to a healthier you. Hugs, Helen

Wanted to say Hi! I am new to spark, but saw you on the Lupus/Fibro page.

I was dx'ed with lupus in 1996 and Fibro in 1997. At the time I was a young mom, and everything I read said there was about a 10 yr lifespan for people with lupus. Research has come a long way since then.